A Romantic Trip to Naboo
by JediMaster-Harry-Baggins
Summary: Anakin and Padme embark on what seems to be a romantic get away. But when Padme reveals her pregnancy and Palpatine unveils his nefarious plans, will either of them make it home alive? Story takes place after EP II but before EP III. Rated T for romance and violence. Comments and reviews are most welcome. Thank you for helping my first fic reach 3,000 views!
1. Chapter 1: A Trip to Naboo

"What are you thinking about?"

Padme jerked out of her reverie and turned to face her husband. Anakin sat opposite her in an equally uncomfortable durasteel seat on a dingy ICST (Intergalactic Corellian Space Transportation) transport. Anakin studied her face, looking for any hint as to what was bothering her. Padme smiled meekly back him.

"It's nothing, Ani."

Padme looked back out of the view port. In their almost three years of marriage, if there was one thing Anakin knew for sure it was that "nothing" never really was just nothing. Things must be more serious than he thought. Anakin tried again in an attempt to break the silent tension that had settled between them since their last stop.

"Three years of marriage and still haven't you learned? Lying to a Jedi Knight is very ill advised", said Anakin giving Padme what he thought was one of his most winning smiles.

"It's nothing, really, Ani. I'm just worried about where this war with the Separatists has swept our precious Republic," replied Padme, returning her gaze to the view port.

"We're supposed to be on vacation", chided Anakin.

"I know", sighed Padme. "But I feel guilty leaving Coruscant when it so obviously needs us". Anakin leaned back in his chair, exasperated. He also knew that he couldn't push Padme. She would be open with him when she was ready. He continued to watch her, his gaze drifting over her radiant brown eyes, to her soft pink lips and finally to the determined expression she wore on her face.

Anakin opened himself to the force and Padme's worry hit him like a durasteel wall. Anakin suppressed a cringe. Padme was definitely worried about more than just the Republic. Could it be the security? Anakin glanced around the cabin. It was nearly empty. There were four Rodians grouped tightly together at a table in the corner with their backs to the rest of the room, playing what seemed to be an extremely shady game of sabaac. Anakin's gaze then fell on a sleeping Ramoan in the center of the room, whom, due to his large size was sitting on at least two seats. His lips fluttered around his tusks as he snored heavily into his chest. The painful creaking of the seat was audible with his every breath. The rest of the passengers were seemingly insignificant. A human woman with her back to the wall clung to her small son while eyeing the room warily. Two small Chadra-Fan eyes kept shifting abruptly to their luggage, around the room, and back to their luggage, which couldn't have been more than a meter from their feet.

Clearly, thought Anakin, this transport company did not have a good reputation. But then again, wasn't it why they chose this route? The tickets were cheap enough for even the poorest Coruscanti to be able to afford. For 125 galactic credits, two people could make a one way trip from Coruscant to Naboo. Granted there were 52 stops between here and there. But no one would expect a powerful Nubian senator and well known Jedi Knight to travel in such humble stylings. The numerous stops and a constant flow of on and off again foot traffic made it difficult for potential pursuers to keep tabs on their targets even with foreknowledge of their final destination. It would be all too easy for them to get off on one of the stops and take a later transport and shake their pursuers all together. Luckily, Anakin didn't think there would be any need for that today.

Satisfied with the way their plan was going along, Anakin stretched and leaned back in an attempted to relax as much as he could in the uncomfortable chairs of the transport. He smirked. This plan couldn't go any better if he had thought of it himself. Anakin made a mental note to thank the chancellor the next time he saw him. During one of their occasional lunches, Anakin happened to mention to Chancellor Palpatine how he wished he could just disappear for awhile and calm his mind. He felt restless in the Force as of late and he thought some rest would do him some good. The chancellor of course had agreed. He told Anakin about how he used to get away in his early days as a senator using cheap, lower level transport which was not as closely monitored and had fewer passengers due to its seedy reputation.

Anakin was given his chance one evening when the Council agreed to rotate he and Obi-wan along with other exhausted Jedi forces from active duty leading clone divisions against the Separatists. They were to return to the Jedi Temple for a 4 month hiatus. Anakin could barely conceal his pleasure at the news. He knew it was unprofessional to appear so happy about it, but Master Obi-wan and Master Windu would have seen through him anyway.

As the transport docked on an insignificant space station above Kalarba, Anakin couldn't suppress a grin as he reminisced about excitement he felt that day. He raced to the upscale apartment he shared with his wife in a wealthy area of Coruscant, which had come to be known as the Senatorial district, due to the high number of elected officials who resided there. Careful to make sure he was not being followed, he finally made it to the apartment to give her the news. Padme was ecstatic! After being away for a year and a half, sustaining themselves on short 2-3 day visits Anakin made every 6 months or so to report to the Council, 4 months was a lifetime. It was during one of these visits that Anakin made Padme a promise. It happened right before one of their heart wrenching goodbyes.

* * *

Standing at the door, Anakin turned around one last time to kiss his wife goodbye. He grabbed her around the waist and tilted her face up to his. He placed his lips against hers in a soft, gentle kiss. When he opened his eyes, he saw her large, brown eyes with long wet lashes staring back at him. Anakin felt her soft fingertips tracing their way up and down the back of his neck. He placed his forehead against hers and kissed the tip of her wet nose. Padme giggled softly and he couldn't help but smile at the sound of her mirth. For who knows when and if he would hear it again?

"I promise you, my love, when this is over, we will run away together. Even if only for a little while."

"Ani, don't make promises you can't keep," whispered Padme. "You don't know what this war has in store for us."

"Love, not even the Separatists could stop me from keeping my promise," Anakin whispered back, hugging Padme one last time.

* * *

The sound of a woman with a thick Corellian accent over the loudspeaker jerked Anakin out of his reverie. At least… he thought it was a woman. The "woman" over the loudspeaker announced that the stop would last for 2:45 while the transport refueled and refreshed the cabins and all passengers were required to get off. Mandatory stops was another reason why keeping tabs on a target was difficult. Yet another "perk" of low level transport.

Anakin stood up and stretched. He was glad to be out of that hard chair. Padme stood up to join her husband.

"Are you hungry? This stop features a restaurant that Master Obi-wan recommended to me. I told him I'd try it if I was ever in the area."

"Yes, that sounds fine," responded Padme. Yes, thought Anakin, whatever was bothering her, it was serious.

They grabbed their things. Anakin carried a light bag as he we used to traveling with next to nothing; Padme's bag was also very light due to the numerous closets of clothes she owned in her Nubian lake house. Anakin reached down, grabbed her bag from her hand, and led the way to the exit.

After 20 minutes of pushing and shoving, Anakin and Padme finally exited the transport. The station was buzzing with a vibrant night life. Neon signs pointed the way to restaurants, gambling dens, and general stores, where passengers can restock on dentigel, refresher paper, and other toiletries. The largest portion of those exiting the ship, however, headed for the gambling dens, where there was sure to be plenty of drink and other forms of adult entertainment.

They walked briskly to the restaurant district and walked into the restaurant that was apparently recommended by Master Obi-wan. However, why he would recommend this restaurant to anyone would be a complete mystery. Upon walking into the dim interior, one's nose was hit with a scent so offensive, even a Hutt would have been nauseated. They walked across the room, picking their way through the dense crowd to a table and peeling the bottom of their shoes off of the sticky floor with every step. As they sat down, a service droid appeared out of seemingly nowhere.

"Refreshments?" the metallic voice asked.

"Just water for me," said Padme absently. She was still wrapped in her thoughts.

"Two waters," said Anakin. The droid quickly hummed away to retrieve their drinks.

Anakin settled into his seat and began to take in his surroundings. The place was just as packed with people as the rest of the station. Races of every kind could be found here. From the attractive Twi'lek bartender to the Bith playing with the band. To say that this was one of the galaxy's seedier places of business would be an understatement. It was all too evident in the way the patrons were huddled closely together eyeing the rest of the room with open disgust. Anakin felt a myriad of emotions, fear, anger, nervousness, all rolled into a huge ball of turmoil. Suddenly, he made eye contact with an attractive human woman. She was beautiful, but in a rather rigid way. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun although a couple helpless strands fell into her large blue eyes. He felt a sudden pang of fear in the Force and she quickly looked away and struck up and hurried conversation with the man at her table. The man seemed of average build and had short blonde hair but with his back to the crowd, it was impossible to tell anymore.

_Huh. Well that was strange,_ thought Anakin. He turned back around in his seat and allowed his gaze to fall back on his wife. He thought of the young boy he once was who had fallen in love with a Nubian senator. He chuckled to himself. He was a different man then and those were different times. In a second, Anakin felt the cool chill of danger sense move down his spine. In the next, he was Force leaping across the table and pulling Padme down with him. He saw intense surprise on her face. Blaster fire erupted in the space both Anakin and Padme had occupied moments earlier. Before Anakin even hit the floor, his hand was on his lightsaber. And then it ignited, gracefully deflecting blaster bolts as its handler hurried to his feet. By this time, patrons had noticed what was going on. They began to collectively run for the exits, pushing, shoving, and in some cases trampling any who stood in their way. Anakin batted the bolts into the ceiling; he could not risk hitting a bystander by attempting to bat them back at the shooters. He allowed himself a sideways glance to reassure himself that Padme was indeed out of harm's way. She had ducked down underneath the bar behind him. Okay, now he could focus all of his attention on his attackers.

* * *

"What are you thinking about?"

Padme jerked out of her reverie and turned to face her husband. His soft, blue eyes seemed filled with concern. He had recently taken to growing his hair out, and it was currently shaggy and just below his ears. During their trip, he had also accrued a reasonable amount of stubble about his chin, a testament to their many hours spent traveling. In other words, he looked as handsome as ever. She had known him even as a little boy and it never ceased to amaze her how well manhood suit him.

"It's nothing, Ani" Padme looked back out of the view port.

"Three years of marriage and still haven't you learned? Lying to a Jedi Knight is very ill advised", said Anakin jokingly. She managed a weak smile.

"It's nothing, really, Ani. I'm just worried about where this war with the Separatists has swept our precious Republic," replied Padme.

"We're supposed to be on vacation", chided Anakin.

"I know", sighed Padme. "But I feel guilty leaving Coruscant when it so obviously needs us". Anakin leaned back in his chair, seemingly leaving her to her thoughts. That was one of the things that she loved about him. He could push her so hard and be so persuasive, but he also knew when to let her come to him. Now that she thought about it, he was kind of the same way and maybe that's why he understood. Sometimes she could feel that there were things he was holding back from her; she could almost feel the heat of the turmoil radiating from beneath his skin. She accepted the irony that something she detested about him could be something that she valued that he understood about her. She needed that time to collect her thoughts. Thinking objectively was something that came with being a young former queen of Naboo, but also a skill that she used daily as a high profile Senator. But when Anakin held things back, it made her feel as if he didn't trust her. She could always come to him, he was her own personal Jedi bodyguard, but it bothered her that he couldn't come to her. She could often feel, even without the Force, when something was upsetting her husband. Anakin would often brood on things, letting his emotions fester before locking them away somewhere deep within himself. Somewhere, she admonished, that she couldn't touch. And that hurt her.

So how could she tell Anakin that she was pregnant? She had found out not more than a week ago and she had been thinking about it ever since. She was afraid, nervous, excited, happy, and resolved all at once. But she also knew she had to think carefully. Bearing this child would have serious consequences for both her and Anakin. She needed to talk to her husband. Speak her mind and him speak his. She valued his input. But she also knew that with a subject so closely intertwined with their emotions, she could not count on Anakin to be 100% open with her. So she held her tongue, unsure of what exactly to do.

Padme vaguely registered the man over the loud speaker announcing their successful dock. Anakin stood up and stretched.

"Are you hungry? This stop features a restaurant that Master Obi-wan recommended to me. I told him I'd try it if I was ever in the area."

"Yes, that sounds fine," responded Padme.

She felt Anakin reach down and remove the strap of her bag from her hand. She allowed him to do so and instead reached out to grab his arm. She allowed Anakin to guide her through the spaceport and before she knew it she was standing in front of what had to be one of the most unwelcoming restaurants in the galaxy. Anakin steered her inside and they sat down in a booth near the bar.

"Refreshments?" a metallic voice asked.

"Just water for me," said Padme absently. She did not even bother to look in the droids direction.

"Two waters," said Anakin. Padme heard the droid hum away to retrieve their drinks.

When is the right time to tell him? Will he want to risk everything to have this baby? She sighed. She would just have to gather her courage and tell him. However he may feel, whatever he may think.

And suddenly, Anakin was bounding across the table at her. She felt her eyes widen in surprise as he pulled her to the floor. Blaster bolts screamed above her head. In the next second she saw Anakin rising to his feet, already deflecting the blaster bolts coming their way.


	2. Chapter 2: Vacation Interrupted

Star Wars Fan Fiction

Anakin and Padme: Vacation Interrupted

Chapter II

Anakin needed to think quickly. The longer he delayed, the more people could get hurt. The would-be assassins were spraying bolts in all directions, with no regard for the hundreds of civilians in the venue. Anakin knocked a table onto its side, and ducked behind it, silently thankful for the minor reprieve it allowed. He quickly scanned his surroundings looking for something, _anything _that could help him. He glanced at Padme who was still behind the bar, eyes wide with worry, her lips pressed in a tight line. She made eye contact with him, and wordlessly pointed up. Anakin looked up at the ceiling. The restaurant had high, metal ceilings with cheap recessed lighting every few meters. It was partially damaged due to extensive rust from water that must have leaked through cracked duracrete above. Attached to the ceiling were rafters, most likely for the use of a maintenance crew who obviously were no longer present. An idea suddenly blinked into Anakin's head. Anakin reached upwards with his left hand and reached towards the durasteel ramp in the Force. Wrapping his imaginary Force fingers around it, he yanked as hard as he could. The rafters and part of the ceiling fell free and landed heavily on top of their attackers. Anakin could feel the deafening thud in his chest. The sound of their blaster fire stopped almost immediately, except for the final notes of the blaster's screech that could still be heard echoing throughout the large room. Anakin peered out from behind the table and saw nothing but a pile of newly formed pile of rubble where his attackers once stood and a large cloud of dust swirling its way through the room. He waited a moment to make sure that there wasn't any movement coming from the pile. When he saw none, he crawled out from behind the table and began to make his way slowly across the room. The room was almost empty now. The only ones who remained were the Twi'lek bartender still hiding behind her bar and several members of a species Anakin didn't recognize, who were too slow to escape the blaster bolts. Wafts of smoke floated up from large scorch marks on their backs. The smell of their burnt flesh hung heavily in the air. Anakin was almost upon the rubble pile when one of the rocks stirred.

"Anakin!"

Anakin heard Padme shriek his name. He was on high alert, ready to Force leap to safety at the slightest provocation. But it did not stir again. He used the Force to shift some rubble aside and saw the badly battered and bruised face of the once beautiful woman whom he momentarily shared eye contact with.

"What is your name?" he asked. Anakin could see the woman's eyes glaring up at him defiantly out of bruised blue sockets.

Silence. Anakin shifted a few more rocks and unearthed two blasters. He emptied the heat absorbing clips from one and broke it, casting it to the side. The clips and the remaining blaster he threw to Padme. She caught it and crawled out from under the bar and placed the blaster in the crook of her arm, poised for whatever may come next. Anakin removed a few more layers of rocks revealing the body of the woman's companion. His body was so broken and contorted that Anakin doubted that he was still alive. He searched the man's pockets. His search turned up nothing but a small data card. Perhaps the type that one would receive from a valet. He pocked the card. It could prove useful in his escape. He returned his attention to the woman. She was still watching him, breathing heavily and also raggedly through what was quite obviously several broken ribs. Blood dribbled at the corners of her mouth, a sure sign of what could be numerous and massive internal injuries. He approached slowly and watched her eyes light up with fear. But to her credit, still she did not speak. He watched as she pressed her lips tightly together in defiance.

"Who sent you to kill us?!" He asked but this time more forcefully. When his and his wife's lives were at stake, a man could only exercise so much patience. Much of the Jedi Order frowned upon his lack of patience, his intense passion when those he cared about were involved, and his impulsiveness, but even Master Obi-wan had to admit that it was these same things that sometimes saved them both. The woman swallowed visibly, but still she remained silent. Anakin slowly lifted his boot above the pile of rocks on the woman's chest in an unspoken threat. The woman's eyes widened, but still she did not speak.

"Ani, don't. We can find another way to get the information we need," said Padme warily.

Anakin ignored his wife's protests. He rested his boot on top of the pile of rocks on the woman's chest. Just the weight of his foot was enough to make her groan in pain.

"Who… sent… you?" asked Anakin, placing a pause between every word.

"I don't know. I work for an agency," she gasped, gnashing her teeth in pain. Anakin saw her take a mournful look in the direction of what was left of her partner. In the background, he could hear the collective thunder of the boots of the station's security and the muffled sound of a commanding officer shouting orders. Time was running short.

"What is the name of the agency?" asked Anakin impatiently.

"Corporate Construction. It's a construction company on Corellia, but the construction part is just a front. I don't know who hired us." The last part came out as a sob. And the thundering of the boots had gotten a little closer. Anakin removed his boot.

"You should have asked your partner how to avoid detection of a Jedi. Just sensing your anticipation in the Force was enough for me to guess your intentions," Anakin stated matter-of-factly before turning his back and walking quickly over to Padme.

"We have to go", he said as he grabbed Padme's arm.

"You shouldn't have done that, Ani."

"Well, Senator, maybe next time we can put your diplomacy to the test, but right now we have to get out of here," replied Anakin impatiently.

Anakin had his escape planned the moment he had noticed the rafters above their heads. He reached one arm around Padme's waist and Force leaped upwards. He landed lightly on the hard metal, just as he heard the security officers gathering outside. He locked eyes with Padme and nodded his head towards the door at the end of the ramp some 50 meters behind them. Padme nodded back. Anakin, gently as the situation would allow, reached for her hand and led the way. They moved quickly and quietly, never running, which would make too much noise on the metal. They reached the door and shut it behind them. Anakin and Padme had found themselves in a small room, so small in fact, that two people standing fingertip to fingertip could easily touch both walls. Padme leaned her blaster against the wall; it would cause too much attention in the crowded corridors. In the middle of the room was an open hatch in the floor with a ladder. Anakin leaned over the hole and surveyed the room below. It appeared to be a decent sized janitor's closet. Anakin was also pleased to see there was also an emergency exit against the far wall. All the while he could still hear the click clack of the security agent's boots as they scuffled around looking for their missing suspects. The sooner they got out of here, the better. Anakin bent his knees with the intention of Force-leaping down into the room below when Padme suddenly stretched her arm out across his chest. She flashed him a warm playful smile.

"Excuse me, Master Jedi," said Padme, flashing him a smile before jumping nimbly through the hatch. Anakin laughed.

No, excuse _me_, Mistress. How could I forget? Ladies first." And with that Anakin leaped through the hatch after her.

The emergency exit, fortunately lead them straight into one of the tight maintenance corridors between the shops and restaurants. They followed the dimly lit passage all the way to the end where they found a sliding panel. Sliding back the panel revealed a large crowd which seemed to always clog the main corridors of the space station no matter what the Galactic Standard Time was. Anakin and Padme easily slipped into the crowd. There was clearly still a large commotion going on at the restaurant behind them. Unable to find their suspects, the Security officers had grown more brash and impatient. They had begun to snatch any being they deemed suspicious to the side and hound them mercilessly. Padme noted that most of these beings were tending to their own business and just had the misfortune of walking by. Padme slipped her arm around Anakin's. As they continued to navigate their way through the bustling corridor, Padme tried her best to look as though they were nothing more than a loving couple of tourists. Nobody would suspect a seemingly loving couple on vacation, would they?

"Anakin, where are we going? Surely we cannot return to the transport."

"I have no intention of returning to the transport. I borrowed this," Anakin reached down and removed the datacard from the inner pocket of his black Jedi robes, "from the dead assassin".

Padme took the smooth plastic into her hands. A valet datacard. This almost guaranteed them transport off the station but it wasn't exactly stealthy.

"So we're just going walk right up to the valet attendant, hand him the card, and hope for the best?" asked Padme sarcastically.

"Well… yeah," answered Anakin, his voice slightly muted by hurt. But he recovered quickly. "Sometimes the best plan is no plan."

Padme rolled her eyes. She had been with Anakin of several of his "improvised" missions and she knew better than most just how disastrous it could turn out. When Anakin improvised things just went bad; ships exploded and blaster bolts always followed. But now was not the time to argue the point. So she continued to let Anakin lead and did her best to play the part of the doting lover. Anakin followed the blaring neon signs of every color and quickly found those that read "VALET DOCKING BAY THIS WAY". As his feet carried him to his destination, Anakin allowed himself a moment to consider and prepare for all of the things that could possibly go wrong. They could be recognized. But if someone had recognized them, they would already know it and would currently be running as fast as they could in the opposite direction. Anakin cast this idea to the side. Security officers in the docking bays would definitely complicate things. But Anakin decided to take his chances. They had no viable identification that they could present to confirm their identities. To present their real ones would risk an intergalactic incident. Their best chance was to play the role of the loving couple, hope that no one asked them for identification, and to seem to not be in too much of a rush. Agitation and impatience would only draw attention to themselves and make them look suspicious. They were also probably the last people the officers would suspect, but it still wouldn't do to tempt fate. They needed to get out of here quickly before the officers got a chance to talk to the Twi'lek bartender and get their descriptions. They couldn't take the time to establish a viable plan. Within the hour, every person on this station would be looking for a dark haired, human male Jedi traveling with a dark haired human female. So, they took their chances.

Anakin turned a corner and headed towards the large durasteel door that led to the valet docking bay. At the entrance, stood a human male in his early adulthood. Behind a tall but thin podium, he seem preoccupied. He was holding his comlink up to his mouth, speaking so softly into it that Anakin couldn't hear what he was saying but could only see the movement of his lips. The boy clicked off his comlink and looked in their direction. The boy had the air of someone who was all too eager to prove themselves. He seemed inexperienced, but in his desperation for approval, he would follow the rule book to the T. And depending on what exactly whoever on the other side of the comm frequency ordered him to do, Anakin could sense that this could be trouble.

"Leaving, sir?" the boy asked.

Time to play his part. Anakin drew all the aloofness he could into his voice.

"Yes, and I'd appreciate it if you could hurry. I'm in a bit of a rush," said Anakin, nonchalantly waiving his left hand. A small Force suggestion couldn't hurt.

"I should hurry, you're in a bit of a rush," repeated the valet attendant. The blank stare behind his eyes told Anakin all he need to know. "Valet datacard, please sir.

Anakin sighed and pulled the datacard from within his robes. Even a Force suggestion, couldn't break this guy's compulsive need to follow every rule.

"Please confirm your vehicle on the screen."

Anakin impatiently accepted the prompt.

"Your vehicle will be around shortly, sir. Dock 9.

Anakin entered the durasteel doors and quickly noted that their dock was reasonably close to the front. They waited a total of 10 standard minutes before a Y-283 Alderaanian yacht, matching the description of the vehicle in the prompt, pulled into one of the many docking stations.

Padme saw Anakin's eyes light up as the yacht pulled up. The new Y-283s were known first and foremost for their speed, which some more wealthy travelers found to be an insult to the luxurious interior. Padme could feel the anticipation and excitement radiating from Anakin. She sighed exasperatedly.

_Men and their toys, _she thought.

The ramp descended and a young human male walked out towards them.

"Your vehicle, sir?" said the young man, indicating the ship just behind him.

Anakin threw him 15 credits as a tip; just large enough to not draw attention to himself, but also small enough not to illicit suspicion.

"After you, my lady," said Anakin turning to address Padme.

"Why thank you, kind sir," said Padme with a smirk. Anakin smiled at her as she led the way up the ramp.

"Well that went surprisingly well," commented Padme.

"Of course it did. And you would do well not to question your husband," said Anakin in mock seriousness. At this, Padme allowed herself a laugh.

"Yes, well even the great Anakin Skywalker's plans have to work sometimes."

Anakin opened his mouth to protest, but closed it again seemingly thinking better of it. Padme chuckled inwardly. The boy Skywalker would have never let that slide. Once again Padme found herself admiring Anakin Skywalker, the man. He had grown so much since they had first met and even more so since they had gotten married. Maybe Anakin _was_ ready for her secret. He had proven time and time again that he was not the rash teenager he had been on Tatooine, unable to control his actions or emotions. Padme sighed. But right now was _definitely_ not the time.

They reached the cockpit of the ship and Anakin sat down in the pilot's seat. He had a lot of pride in himself as a pilot. Only on rare occasions and in dire situations where he was unable to do it himself, did he let Padme control the ship. And she was fine with that. She would much rather be plotting their jump to lightspeed. This was where her strength outweighed his. Her analytical mind and attention to detail was important in plotting their jump; Anakin's tendency to skip over minor details would be a liability where even the smallest miscalculation could send them spiraling thousands of kilometers off path. Padme smiled inwardly and glanced over at Anakin. He was in the pilot's seat, adjusting many of the buttons and knobs to his own personalized settings. His hair was hanging limp over one side of his face, his lips parted, and his brow furrowed in concentration. She allowed herself a small smile. She appreciated that the skills she lacked, he excelled in and vice versa. They made the perfect team.

Finally, they pulled out of the dock and began to move slowly away from the station. After they were a safe distance away, Padme initiated the jump. Anakin leaned back in his seat, taking an audible sigh of relief. Now that the danger had passed, Padme had made up her mind that she had something to tell her husband.

"Ani… we… need to talk."

11 | Vacation: Interrupted


	3. Chapter 3: Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi

Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi sat alone, cross-legged on the floor of his personal chambers in the Jedi Temple in deep meditation. It was 05:00 GST and Obi-wan was beginning his day as he always had. He had so much on his mind as of late. The war was at a stalemate and available Jedi forces were dwindling. Morale was low, including his own, but he knew that those who followed him could sense nothing within him but calm clarity. Meditation allowed him to gather his thoughts and quell his emotions.

But today was different. Try as he might, Obi-wan could not get his mind to focus on one thing. His mind kept drifting to his apprentice, and the closest thing he had to a family, Anakin Skywalker. Anakin had even called Obi-wan "the closest thing he had to a father." And as he watched Anakin mature into the man he had become, Obi-wan had felt a father's pride.

But he hadn't heard from Anakin since he had left for Naboo 2 standard days ago. He had accompanied Senator Padme Amidala as her personal bodyguard on her return trip home. Something about that bothered him. Wouldn't one think that an active duty Jedi Knight would relish a 4 month hiatus to relax instead of leaving immediately to perform guard duty for some politician?

* * *

Obi-wan stood in the back of a circular chamber, with large windows in the highest tower of the Jedi Temple. It was the first time in months that the Jedi Council had convened for an official meeting. Masters Yoda, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Windu were present. However, many Masters were still away fighting distant battles and notable missing Council members included Shaak Ti, Coleman Trebor, and Saesee Tiin. Anakin, dressed in his customary black robes, stood closely behind Obi-wan. Despite the missing members of the Council, the room was packed with Masters and high-ranking Jedi Knights. They had been standing for the better part of an hour and these proceedings were exceptionally dull. Mostly talk of supply lines, troop movements, and miniscule scraps of enemy intelligence. Anakin found his mind wandering off of the meeting… and on to Padme. He reminisced about the last time he had seen her when suddenly…..

"Master Kenobi. Would you mind briefing the Council on your squad in the Outer Rim?" asked Master Windu.

Obi-wan stepped out of the crowd and into the center of the semi-circle of chairs that the council members sat in. Obi-wan cleared his throat.

"With pleasure, Master Windu," replied Obi-wan.

He then began to fill the council in on the several major battles his squad had fallen into and the status of their equipment and supplies, and most importantly the reason they came all this way. Obi-wan relayed to the council information he had gotten on the possible whereabouts of General Grievous. When he was finished the council was silent. All were pondering the information they had just received.

"Thank you for the intelligence, Master Kenobi. The Council appreciates your diligence," replied Mace Windu. "But you have not told us of those under your command. You have been away on active duty for 15 months."

"To be truthful, Master, morale is low. It is affecting their performance. They cannot go on like this. I'd like to formally request a hiatus."

"Yes, earned a rest you have," chuckled Master Yoda.

"Yes, well done Master Kenobi. Request granted."

"Does anyone else have any concerns they would like to express to the Council?" asked Master Windu.

Silence.

"Then the 18,022 official meeting of the Jedi Council is adjourned."

The room seemed to instantly come alive with the buzz of conversation as Jedi Knights and Masters filed out of the room. Obi-wan, Anakin and Mace Windu were the last to leave the chamber.

Anakin touched Obi-wan on the shoulder.

"Master, there is something I wanted to ask you."

Obi-wan turned to face his apprentice.

"Yes, Anakin?"

"Master, Senator Amidala requested me to accompany her to her home planet of Naboo in two standard days. I am to coordinate her security." Anakin looked over Obi-wan's shoulder and saw the ever watchful Mace Windu raise an eyebrow. Obi-wan did not notice.

"Ah, you two are rather close and I dare say you haven't seen much of each other in recent months. And heading her security would give you a function to serve as well as allowing you two time to catch up." Obi-wan pondered this for a second. "You are free to go Anakin, but are you sure you wouldn't rather rest a bit, first?

* * *

Despite the numerous warnings Obi-wan had given his young apprentice against politicians and their manipulative ways, Anakin seemed to have an affinity for political friends. Anakin's occasional lunches with Chancellor Palpatine and the closeness he shared with Senator Amidala were no secret. In fact, Obi-wan could swear that Anakin did these things just because of the simple fact that he had warned him against it. Obi-wan felt the familiar pressure in his chest that anger brought. This was not a good line of thought for a Jedi Master. He allowed himself a second to calm down using the old Jedi adage. "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." He felt the pressure decrease somewhat. Obi-wan sighed. One thing that he couldn't deny was the strength of the relationship that Anakin shared with Padme. They were very close and Anakin had known her since he was a slave boy on Tatooine. Before even Anakin had begun his training as a Jedi padawan. They had been through a lot together including several battles. The battle of Naboo, Geonosis, and the time they had shared at the Naberrie lake house on Naboo had served only to bring them closer. Anakin had expressed his deep feelings for her then, but Obi-wan had nipped it in the bud. He had warned Anakin that he could be expelled from the Order, that his first loyalty should be his duty and that if placed in the same position, Padme would do exactly that. But Obi-wan still found himself thinking back to the time he had caught them together.

Padme had come to the Temple to see Anakin during one of their short stays on Coruscant. They had come to brief the Council on the progression of the war. It was after one such meeting that Obi-wan had heard them talking in Anakin's quarters. Although he couldn't hear what was said, the looks on Anakin and Padme's faces when he entered the room told him more than they intended. Anakin's hand, which looked as though it had been resting on Padme's cheek a second earlier, fell limply to his side. Padme was the first to recover.

"Master Obi-wan, how wonderful it is to see you." Padme crossed the room as gracefully as ever and hugged him.

"Anakin was just telling me of how the war fares and I'm pleased that you are doing well," Padme continued.

"Yes, well I'm pleased to see you as well, Padme. I wish that I could say that Anakin had kept me as well informed of your wellbeing," said Obi-wan, raising an eyebrow in his apprentice's direction. Anakin merely offered a weak shrug. Padme chose to brush this last statement off and continued smiling.

"We do need to catch up sometime and have brunch," said Padme.

"Yes, that does sound lovely," said Obi-wan charmingly.

"Good. I'll make the arrangements." She hugged Obi-wan one last time. Padme turned to Anakin, her face naturally expressionless. "It was good to see you again, Ani."

"Good bye, Padme."

Padme turned back to Obi-wan.

"I'll be in touch," and with that she walked gracefully out of the room.

Back then he had not thought much of it. But in recalling the memory he saw that they had been standing pretty closely, intimately close. Anakin's face had been mere centimeters away from hers, his hand on her cheek… But no, what was he thinking? Anakin would never betray the Order and the oaths he swore as a Jedi by becoming involved in an emotional attachment. Anakin was not an irrational teenager anymore. He knew he had a duty to Order and that that duty had to come before all else. And Padme was a promising young Senator with much potential. Surely she would not risk so much to have an affair with a Jedi? For what could come of such a union? It would be insane. Obi-wan chuckled at his over-active imagination. No, if nothing else, Padme would be the voice of reason. He knew his apprentice could sometimes be impulsive. But Padme was a pure-bred politician. She would have calculated the risk and saw what awaited them. After all, hadn't she weathered Anakin's affections all of this time? He allowed himself a small chuckle at his own stupidity. Anakin and Padme. Where in the Force had he come up with that idea?


	4. Chapter 4: It's a Setup

Star Wars Fan Fiction

It's a Setup

Chapter 5

Chancellor Palpatine stood behind his desk, his hands clasped behind his back, facing the large oval windows that circled his high-rise office. The Coruscanti skyline shone with the orange glow of sunset.

"So Master Skywalker, how are things in the Outer Rim?" asked Chancellor Palpatine. He turned his head slightly to direct his voice towards the subject. Anakin stood in the center of the chamber having barely entered the grand office just moments before.

"It is going as well as could be expected," answered Anakin. "Death tolls are not as high as they were previously predicted."

"And Master Kenobi?" asked the Chancellor.

"He is well," replied Anakin.

"…And Senator Amidala?"

Palpatine detected a slight pause before the answer. He surpressed a smile of satisfaction at the young Skywalker's discomfort.

"She is fine, I assume. I have not yet had the opportunity to speak with her."

The Chancellor opened himself in the Force. He gently felt his way towards Anakin, careful not to alert the young Jedi Knight to his presence. And he felt… nothing. Absolutely nothing. No love, no warm feelings of friendship. The chancellor knew for a fact that Anakin felt strongly towards Padme. But the fact that Anakin felt that he needed to conceal his feelings towards her, accomplished the exact opposite of what he had intended. It indicated just how deeply he did feel. A small smile curled upon the Chancellor's lips.

"I hear that the Senator has been having problems with her security and much difficulty in finding someone who is capable to organize them," stated Palpatine as Anakin came up beside him. "It's quite the hot button issue with her imminent trip back to her home planet."

"Pad- Senator Amidala, is returning to Naboo?" asked Anakin incredulously.

"Yes, in three standard days, in fact. I do know how much she loves the capital, but with the assassination attempt, one cannot fault her for wanting to return home," continued Palpatine smoothly.

"Assassination attempt?"

"It is all over now, Anakin. The perpetrators have been arrested and several high ranking officers have either been arrested or dismissed," said Palpatine in what he hoped was a consoling tone. "Senator Amidala is quite secure at the moment. I have contributed 30 of my own security detail to ensure it."

He allowed the silence between them to settle as they continued to survey the Coruscanti landscape. He knew that in their silence, Anakin would be thinking about Padme, worrying over her security and fearing for her safety. Palpatine relished the moment.

The incident in question of course, had been set up by Palpatine. It was all too easy to compromise Padme's security. The officers had the nightly habit of socializing at bars after their rounds. He had just simply sent several Twi'lek prostitutes to keep the officers…. ah, preoccupied and of course divulging compromising information about the building's security. A question as simple as "Do you work long hours?" can yield quite a bit of useful information about weak points in surveillance during shift changes. And "How do you boys have any fun?", was always a sure winner. This time, a lieutenant divulged information about how the guards avoided cameras while gambling in the building's back hallways. It was quite easy to set up, once you got to know the officer's routine. As powerful as he was, Palpatine knew he could not take credit for just how stupid these officers really were. If he hadn't instigated the situation, it was only a matter of time before someone else did.

After Palpatine had finished savoring young Skywalker's torment, it was he who broke the silence.

"You know, Anakin, now that I think about it, it should be you who leads Senator Amidala's security."

"Me, sir?"

"Yes, and I dare say with the history between you two, you would be a welcome addition to her security team," stated Palpatine casually. "You know her habits better than most. And no security would be more formidable than a Jedi. It would be a deterrent to many."

Palpatine paused.

"That is, if you'll be sticking around long enough?"

"Master Obi-wan has been debating on petitioning the council for a hiatus", said Anakin slowly.

"Good, good. Soon I hope," said Palpatine.

Palpatine allowed his logic to sink in. Anakin's brow was furrowed and seemed to be thinking very hard about what came next. Surely the opportunity to be near his wife would be near impossible to turn down?

"And it would maximize your efficiency and functionality if you two traveled alone."

"Alone?"

"Yes, take the lower level transport. Assassins would hardly guess that a powerful Jedi such as you and a senator such as Padme would take such a route. I used to travel home that way myself."

"You, sir?

Palpatine laughed.

"You could not know everything about me, young Jedi."

"Forgive me, Chancellor, but why would a senator of your stature choose to travel so…"

"Humbly? Well Anakin, I was not always this old, withered man you see before you. Once I was young, and only a lowly ambassador in the much more popular and well known Senator Kim's retinue."

Palpatine allowed a thoughtful silence to fall between them. Sometimes silence was more persuasive than words.

"Lower level transport…" mumbled Anakin softly.

It took all of Palpatine's self control not to smile. He was _winning._

"Yes, it is possible," Anakin finally admitted aloud. "But Master Obi-wan might object. He says I spend too much of my time around politicians already. Jedi aren't supposed to have any political affiliations. We serve the Republic."

"I dare say Master Obi-wan is right. A Jedi's first obligation is the Republic. It has been so for over a millennia. But Anakin, there is more than one way to serve the Republic. Leading Senator Amidala's security would help stabilize the situation in the Senate and provide an air of safety and quiet some of the anxiety many of our Senators have been having."

Palpatine paused to allow Anakin some time to consider this. He wanted to push him, but not too hard.

"It is a quiet, thankless job in the background, but a necessary one none the less", continued Palpatine. "I only brought this to you because Padme and I trust no one else." _If all else fails, appeal to vanity_, thought Palpatine. "But I understand if you are not up to it. 15 months away in the Outer Rim would tire even the best of us. I'm sure a hiatus is well deserved."

The lines in Anakin's furrowed brow deepened. He was silent as he continued to survey the skyline clearly calculating the risks as well as the reward. And Palpatine knew he had won. He had learned long ago that in order to win a being over to your side, you must always offer the sweeter prize. And what prize could be as sweet as 7 unchecked standard days alone with the woman he loves? Better men had done stupider things for love. And the risks were relatively low- well as far as Anakin knew. No doubt his pride in his ability will have made him arrogant. How could any harm come to Padme in his presence? He was Anakin Skywalker. The Chosen One.

"I accept your offer, Chancellor. I would be honored to serve as Senator Amidala's head of security. Pending the Council meeting, of course", said Anakin finally.

Palpatine smiled.

"Ah yes, the Council."

* * *

Anakin entered the large, plain but elegant chamber that was the Chancellor's office. He quickly spotted Chancellor Palpatine standing behind his desk, staring out of the viewport and seemingly deep in thought.

"So Master Skywalker, how are things in the Outer Rim?" asked Chancellor Palpatine. He did not turn around to address him directly.

"It is going as well as could be expected," answered Anakin. "Death tolls are not as high as they were previously predicted."

Anakin continued walking slowly towards the Chancellor's ornate desk.

"And Master Kenobi?" asked the Chancellor.

"He is well," replied Anakin.

"…And Senator Amidala?"

Anakin's Jedi training was the only thing that stopped him from stumbling over his own feet. He swallowed hard.

"She is fine, I assume. I have not yet had the opportunity to speak with her."

Anakin, sincerely hoping that the Chancellor hadn't noticed his near stumble, continued walking as nonchalantly as he could towards the Chancellor's desk. Anakin crossed behind the desk and stood next to Palpatine gazing out at the Coruscanti skyline.

"I hear that the Senator has been having problems with her security and much difficulty in finding someone who is capable to organize them," stated Palpatine. "It's quite the hot button issue with her imminent trip back to her home planet."

"Pad- Senator Amidala, is returning to Naboo?" asked Anakin incredulously.

He hadn't lied when he said he had yet to speak to Padme. By the sounds of things he needed to find her and speak to her soon.

"Yes, in three standard days. I do know how much she loves the capital, but with the assassination attempt, one cannot fault her for wanting to return home," continued Palpatine smoothly.

"Assassination attempt?"

"It is all over now, Anakin. The perpetrators have been arrested and several high ranking officers have either been arrested or dismissed," said Palpatine consolingly. "Senator Amidala is quite secure at the moment. I have contributed 30 of my own security detail to ensure it."

An assassination attempt. Why hadn't Padme told him? Is she safe now? After he dealt with the Chancellor, Anakin resolved that the next place he would go is to their apartment and get the story from Padme herself. This would have never happened had he been here. An assassin wouldn't_ dare_. Anakin felt the anger rising in his throat.

"You know, Anakin, now that I think about it, it should be you who leads Senator Amidala's security."

"Me, sir?" asked Anakin astonished. The anger disappeared as suddenly as it came.

"Yes, and I dare say with the history between you two, you would be a welcome addition to her security team," stated Palpatine casually. "You know her habits better than most. And no security would be more formidable than a Jedi. It would be a deterrent to many."

"That is, if you'll be sticking around long enough?"

"Master Obi-wan has been debating on petitioning the council for a hiatus", said Anakin slowly.

"Good, good. Soon I hope," said Palpatine.

Palpatine sat in silence, continuing to watch skyline and the flow of traffic, which was somewhat slower than usual. This late in the day, most beings were heading home.

"And it would also maximize your efficiency and functionality if you two traveled alone."

"Alone?"

"Yes, take the lower level transport. Assassins would hardly guess that a powerful Jedi such as you and a senator such as Padme would take such a route. I used to travel home that way myself."

"You, sir?" Anakin found that hard to believe. Palpatine had never flaunted his wealth, but even in this plain office, Palpatine's love of pretty and expensive things were evident.

Palpatine laughed.

"You could not know everything about me, young Jedi."

_Alone… with Padme…, _admonished Anakin. He and Padme had been alone before, but it was a rare treat not to have security officers or cameras following their every move and guarding every door.

"Forgive me, Chancellor, but why would a senator of your stature choose to travel so…"

"Humbly? Well Anakin, I was not always this old, withered man you see before you. Once I was young, and only a lowly ambassador in the much more popular and well known Senator Kim's retinue."

_Yes, this could actually work. Lower level transport would be the least likely place they would look. No self-respecting senator, let alone a figure of Padme's status, would be caught traveling so humbly. And who would expect to find a Jedi traveling with her as well? _

But as hard as Anakin tried to stay objective about this, the more his heart fought to be heard.

_There's Padme too, you know. After so long away wouldn't it be nice to be with her everyday? To wrap your arms around her and not have to worry about getting caught? _

Memories flowed through Anakin like a wave. He thought back to their wedding night. Padme's head resting on his bare chest as he stroked her bare back. The scent of her hair filling his nose. The way her soft brown eyes lit up when she looked up at him. The way his body stiffened when she leaned up and placed two soft kisses on his neck. The calm sound of her breathing long after she had fallen asleep. That night, he had stayed awake just to enjoy her presence. It had felt good just to lay there as still as he could and feel the up and down motion of her breathing. When she slept, Padme had a slight hum with every exhale. When he brought this to her attention, she vehemently denied it as only a politician could. He smiled inwardly at the memory.

Even after the wedding, they still could only spend 3 standard days together before each had to return to their duties. Duties which always seemed to keep them apart. Until now that is.

"Lower level transport…" mumbled Anakin softly.

"Yes, it is possible," Anakin finally admitted aloud. "But Master Obi-wan might object. He says I spend too much of my time around politicians already. Jedi aren't supposed to have any political affiliations. We serve the Republic."

"I dare say Master Obi-wan is right. A Jedi's first obligation is the Republic. It has been so for over a millennia. But Anakin, there is more than one way to serve the Republic. Leading Senator Amidala's security would help stabilize the situation in the Senate and provide an air of safety and quiet some of the anxiety many of our Senators have been having."

"It is a quiet, thankless job in the background, but a necessary one none the less", continued Palpatine. "I only brought this to you because Padme and I trust no one else. But I understand if you are not up to it. 15 months away in the Outer Rim would tire even the best of us. I'm sure a hiatus is well deserved."

And it seemed to Anakin, as he stood there, that the possibilities swam before his eyes. He saw himself finally teaching Padme how to play a decent game of sabaac, he saw them having dinner together, and visiting the meadows that Padme had always loved. He saw them fall asleep together and wake up together as the sunlight danced over their faces. He saw them as they had never been. Free to love and embrace one another without the fear of being discovered. A freedom they had never had. How could he deny that?

"I accept your offer, Chancellor. I would be honored to serve as Senator Amidala's head of security. Pending the Council meeting, of course", said Anakin finally.

Palpatine smiled.

"Ah yes, the Council."

12 | It's a Setup


	5. Chapter 5: A Jedi's Dilemma

Star Wars Fan Fiction

A Jedi's Dilemma

Chapter 4

Anakin sat in the cargo hold of the ship that he and Padme has recently "acquired" during a disastrous stop on a space station near Kalarba. He had been wandering the ship for the last standard day taking inventory and collecting items that could be of later use, and searching for what clues they could find as to the identity of the previous inhabitants. So far he had found little of importance.

The convenient necessity of scouring the ship for useful items had allowed Anakin an excuse to escape from Padme. He needed time to think. He was going to be a father. Every time he thought about it, a hard knot rose in his throat. He had never thought of himself becoming a father. As a Jedi Knight, he had already resigned himself to a life without a family. But here he was, 3 standard years later with a wife and a child on the way.

_A Jedi should be free to love whomever he chooses, _thought Anakin bitterly._ Master Yoda speaks of compassion and empathy, but he is a hypocrite. How can one understand compassion, show compassion without first understanding love? _

As he contemplated this, Anakin felt his animosity towards the Jedi grow. It was because of them that he was in this predicament. It was they that kept him and Padme apart. It was because of the Jedi, he would never be able to openly acknowledge his child.

Anakin raised his mechanical hand and pressed a panel right above the middle joint of his index finger. The panel flipped open revealing a small switch underneath, which he pushed. Instantly, a holo appeared, projected out of the tip of his index finger. It depicted Anakin and Padme shortly after their private wedding. Padme had her hand resting on his chest as she gazed up at him lovingly. His face, with significantly less scarring and facial hair, was tilted down towards hers with a huge grin on his face. He had been all smiles back then. Newly married to the most beautiful woman in the galaxy, recently promoted to Jedi Knight, it was one of the happiest times in his life. Things had become so complicated since then. He couldn't have fathomed back then the stress and the dangers that their marriage would bring them. But he loved her anyway and not even the Jedi and their sacred tenants could stop him.

Anakin closed the panel, shook his head and sighed. He continued to rummage through the bins. Every so often he would find some medical supplies or a tool and sometimes even spare parts. Each of these he cast aside into the empty bin beside him. He worked mechanically and was so lost in his thoughts that he only barely registered what it was he was collecting. Several times he flung useless and broken objects into the bin only to pull it back out a second later. He had lost track of time when he finally heard Padme's voice over his comlink.

"Anakin, dinner is ready. I don't know if you're hungry, but there's nerf steak if you want it."

* * *

Padme checked the nerf steak one last time to make sure it was cooked all the way through. That was one thing she hated about nerf steaks. They were so thick, that it was hard to be sure that they had been cooked evenly. The only reason she even bothered with the steaks was because they were Anakin's favorite. She made them on the rare occasions that Anakin happened to be home.

Padme struggled to set the table for two. She was still adjusting to the layout of the ship's galley. While it was luxurious in seating and decor, it lacked basic counter space and storage, making every meal a different challenge.

After making sure everything was just right, Padme commed her husband.

"Anakin, dinner is ready. I don't know if you're hungry, but there's nerf steak if you want it."

She didn't wait for his reply. Anakin had been quite surly since she had given him the news. She hadn't expected him to be ecstatic, but she certainly hadn't expected this. He had been distant, even more than usual. And anytime she tried to talk to him, he suddenly remembered some system that needed debugging or an object that needed to be repaired. She was done crying. She was passed the sadness and over the disappointment. She needed him too. Why couldn't he see that? She was now in what Anakin had referred to as her "angry phase". She had decided that she just couldn't deal with a man who can't sit down at the table and have an open discussion. And she noticed he still hadn't responded to her comm, _again._

_Anakin can do whatever he please, _she thought. _I'm not going to let my dinner get cold waiting on him again._

No sooner than she had thought the words, did Anakin emerge from the threshold.

"Hello, Anakin," said Padme coolly.

"Padme," replied Anakin. He crossed through the small kitchenette and took his seat across from her. He sat down and zealously began shoveling piles of food onto his plate.

_Maybe you wouldn't be so hungry if you had answered my comm for lunch, _Padme thought, annoyed with her husband's uncouth behavior.

They ate in silence, with nothing but the whirring of the engines and the hum of the atmosphere scrubbers to accompany the clanging of their plates.

But soon her irritation faded and it just became too much for her. She couldn't just hold it in any longer. As she felt the tears welling up in her eyes, she slammed her utensils down with a loud clang, and stalked off to their quarters. She didn't even look back when Anakin called her name. She walked briskly all the way back to their quarters with her vision so blurred from the tears she refused to let fall, that she barely knew which way she was going.

When she finally reached their quarters, she threw herself down on the bed and buried her face in her pillow. Only then did she let the tears fall freely. If Anakin was too immature to care for her, how could he help her care for a baby?

* * *

Anakin turned several knobs and sat down on the bench in the sanisteam. He sat back, closed his eyes and exhaled. There was something calming about the slow hiss of the warm steam filling the chamber. Like the rest of the ship, the refresher was quite lavish. Expensive stone lined the counter tops and the many knobs in the sanisteam denoted luxury features. It seemed as if the builders had traded luxury for space in all areas of the ship's design. The sanisteam itself was so small that Anakin had no choice but to sit. As the chamber filled with hot steam, he allowed all the stress and worry to wash through his mind.

What would Obi-wan think? What would the Council do to him? Where in the galaxy could he hide a baby? And what about Padme? It would be risqué for a prominent senator to remain unmarried and pregnant. And he certainly didn't want to see her go through that. It wasn't as if he could come out and declare he was her husband and that this was their child.

In his mind's eye, he saw Padme as she ate her dinner in silence, hurt written all over her face. He hadn't known what to say or how to comfort her, so he didn't say anything at all. His heart ached for her, but still the words would not come. When Padme finally stood up and stalked off to their quarters, he tried to call her back, but she had ignored him. And he found that he could not blame her. Every time she had tried to talk to him, he just got so anxious and frustrated.

But for the first time, there was something about the current situation excited him. Gods above, a baby! He could teach him how to drive his first speeder, how to pilot his first ship and how to find out an opponent's tell in sabaac. And if he was Force sensitive, Anakin could even show him a few tricks.

_But what if it's a girl?_

Anakin had never considered that. He wasn't sure he was ready for it either. He imagined himself playing dolls with her in her room, holding his little girl's hand on her first day of school and threatening to Force choke her first boyfriend. The last one actually made him smile. The possibilities were endless.

And it was like something clicked in him. This wasn't the end, it was just the beginning. Today marked the first chapter in a new story. And he wasn't going to let the Council and their tenants narrate this chapter of his life too.

When Anakin finally emerged from his reverie, he noticed that his fingers had already become wrinkly and he had yet to wash a single thing. He rushed through his sanisteam and when he finally did emerge from the refresher, he himself felt, well, refreshed. Not only in body, but also in mind. And he knew what he had to do.

* * *

Padme was lying in bed with her back to the door. She heard Anakin come in, but she didn't turn around. Rather than face him after the incident at dinner, she opted instead to pretend to be asleep. She was exhausted emotionally and physically and she just didn't think she could deal with another spat. She closed her eyes tightly as she heard him approach the bed. She felt the bed sag slightly as Anakin sat down and let out an audible sigh. She could hear him fumbling with his boots, kicking them off and removing his shirt before feeling the cool breeze as he pulled back the covers. Padme felt her body tense as he lay down next to her. She finally opened her eyes and laid there in silence unable to fall asleep.

And suddenly she felt Anakin, stir next to her.

"Padme," said Anakin as he rested a hand on her shoulder.

She continued to feign sleep.

"Padme," said Anakin again, this time more sternly. "I know you're awake, you're not even snoring."

"Yes, Anakin?" answered Padme stiffly. She didn't even bother to turn around.

Padme felt Anakin wrap an arm around her and plant a delicate kiss on the back of her neck.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

7 | A Jedi's Dilemma


	6. Chapter 6: Sugar, We're Going Down

Star Wars Fan Fiction

Sugar, We're Going Down

Chapter 6

"Ani, be careful."

"I will," answered Anakin. He walked from one side of the room to the other, collecting items he might be of use on his mission.

"Don't take any risks," worried Padme.

"I wont.'

"And-"

"Padme, please! You're making me anxious," said Anakin irked with his wife's incessant worrying.

As Padme watched Anakin throw everything haphazardly into his survival kit, she had to fight the urge to do it for him.

"Ani, I'm not so sure this is a good idea."

"Well what would you have me do? Those people are sending assassins to kill you. And I already told you, no," responded Anakin as he put his rope and other useful items into a small bag on the counter. His lightsaber he snapped on his waist.

"You don't even know what Obi-wan will do! Anakin, comm him, and ask for help. I have a bad feeling about you going in there alone."

"No."

"Well at least let me-"

"Those people are sending assassins to kill you," repeated Anakin putting an emphasis on every word. "They would love for you to walk in there and deliver yourself to them. I'm not going to let that happen."

Padme opened her mouth to protest, but saw the look on her husband's face and thought better of it. She knew when Anakin was beyond reaching and at that point, pushing him even further only served to make him more reckless.

After Anakin had double and triple checked his kit, he finally broke the silence and tension that had settled between them.

"If I'm not back in 3 hours, I want you leave without me. Comm Obi-wan then. But encrypt it so that only he can open it. Tell him where I went, but he need not know everything."

Padme felt the tears forming behind her eyes as her cheeks flushed. She tried to turn away so that Anakin wouldn't see, but she failed like she always did. Trying to hide her feelings from a Force-sensitive husband was akin to trying to hide a shining datapad screen in a dark holo theater. Anakin strode from behind the counter, wrapped Padme in a tight embrace and planted and delicate kiss on her forehead.

"I will be back, though. I promise," he said as he held her in his arms. He kissed her one last time, but this time on the lips. Padme allowed herself to give in to his embrace.

"Ani, what did I tell you about making promises you can't keep?" she whispered.

* * *

Padme sat gazing out of the forward viewport looking for any sign of movement on the launch pad. The pad they had chosen was about 4 kilometers from their target building, Corporate Construction, whose headquarters seemed to be right in the population center of Corellia. Anakin and Padme had spent three standard days watching the comings and goings of the place. They had seen nothing unordinary. Workers were seen entering early in the day and leaving sometime in the evening. No notable figures had been seen in the vicinity. After so long without one hint or clue, Anakin had decided it had been best if he had gone down and checked it out.

That was 4 hours ago. Corell, the planet's sun, had begun to dip towards the horizon, casting a pale, orange glow over the city. Padme was supposed to take off well over an hour ago and still there was no sign of Anakin. Padme was beyond worried. She would try and sit and watch the launch pad and the open walkway that connected it to the adjacent building for any sign of movement, but she was so anxious, that she couldn't bear to sit for more than 10 minutes at a time. And so she had resorted to pacing. Every so often she would look up at the viewport, so certain that Anakin was just around the corner, only to be again disappointed and resume her pacing with even more vigor.

Finally she tired and again took her seat in front of the viewport. Padme checked the security holos to ensure that all areas of the ship were secure. She then leaned back in her seat and tried to relax.

_Anakin,_ she thought, _Please, Anakin, come back to me._

She soon found that she couldn't relax, and she pulled her comlink out of a pocket inside the folds of her dress and checked the frequency that she and Anakin had shared. The other line was still inactive. Anakin had thought comm silence was best in an operation that required such stealth, but if he did try to comm for help, Padme wanted to be right there.

_One more hour, _thought Padme. _One more hour and if he's still not here, I'll leave._

Padme resumed pacing and then sitting, and then pacing again for another half an hour before she heard it. An explosion so close that it rocked the ship on it's launch pad. She rushed to the forward viewport and looked outside.

And there was Anakin, his blue lightsaber shining brilliantly in his hand, emerging from the smoke pouring from the side of the building that housed their launch pad. Blaster fire was thick in the air behind him. He was running at a speed that Padme knew would have not been physically possible, had it not been for the Force. So fast in fact, that his lightsaber was only a blur of blue light.

Padme ran to the control console, slid into the pilot's seat, fired the ship's engines and lowered the ramp. She then watched, with her heart pounding in her chest, as Anakin struggled to outrun his attackers. He was taking huge bounds, leaping and twisting in every direction but the blaster fire and the three droids that had emerged from the smoke mere seconds after he did, were hot on his tail. The open walkway that led to the launch pad couldn't have been more than 500 meters long, but it seemed as if it were light years. Anakin spared a glance behind him and twisted his body so that he could bat one of the incoming blaster bolts back at his attackers. His aim struck true, but the droid's shielding was so thick that it didn't even seem to feel it.

Padme slid to the edge of her seat, willing Anakin forward. And suddenly her heart caught in her throat. One of the droids had finally hit Anakin square in the back. The force of the blast knocked him from his feet and sent him flying forward. He landed on his hands and knees but he was back on his feet so quickly that Padme barely had time to blink.

She thought he looked slower now. The energy required to dodge the constant blaster fire and call upon the Force to augment his speed was taking it's toll on him. He was almost at the ramp when he fell again. Two bursts of blaster fire hit him between the shoulders and he collapsed. Padme set the timer so that the ship would take off in approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds. She jumped from behind the pilot's seat and ran to the access ramp in the cargo bay. When she finally reached the durasteel doors she saw the timer on the keypad read 40 seconds. She hit the red button and the doors slid back into the wall. And she saw Anakin at the bottom of the ramp struggling to crawl.

"Anakin!" she shouted.

She saw Anakin raise his face in her direction. He began to crawl a little faster. But the droids were not far behind. She would have to raise the ramp and soon.

"Anakin, hurry!" she shouted again.

Anakin looked behind him and saw the droids closing in. When they were about 15 meters away, they stopped and took aim. Anakin struggled for a moment, rose shakily to his feet and hobbled as fast as he could up the ramp, barely escaping the droid's blaster bolts. No sooner was he inside that Padme hit the ramp control and raised it. The screen now read 7 seconds, 6 seconds, 5 seconds…  
_He made it! exclaimed Padme. We're going to actually survive this._

But all of Padme's excitement was crushed a moment later when she turned around and found Anakin lying, spread eagle, on the floor of the bay.

"Anakin!" cried Padme as she rushed over to him. She knelt beside him and raised his head, but no matter how many times she called him, he did not respond.

And suddenly Padme felt the violent shaking of the ship as it rose from the launch pad. Tears brimming in her eyes, she reluctantly tore herself away from Anakin's limp body and went to go pilot the ship.

As she rushed back to the pilot's seat, she saw that the ship's altitude was rising higher and higher on the monitors. Luckily, it didn't seem that the droids had managed to damage anything critical. Finally, when they had rose high enough, Padme turned the ship around and headed for space. She was increasing the speed and checking all the monitors when she heard it. The slow, steady beep that could mean only one thing; they had been targeted. She checked the rear holo and saw it; a huge ball of fire, heading in their direction, not more than 6 kilometers behind them. She increased the speed to it's max, put the ship into evasive mode and threw up a prayer. Anakin was the pilot, not her. She was nowhere near good enough to escape a missile at that close of range.

She chose this moment to send a distress signal to Obi-wan. She struggled with the console, trying to find the right frequency, and encrypted it with shaky fingers.

"Obi-wan," Padme shouted into the transmitter, her voice shaking with fear. "Obi-wan, please. Anakin is unconscious, were being fired upon and we need reinforcements! Corporate Construction is a fake they're the ones that's been trying to kill-" BOOM.

Padme felt the deafening thud travel throughout her body as the ship lurched forward. She heard the squealing of the metal falling away even before the console told her what had happened. The hull had been breached. The ship, unable to hold itself up any longer, took a nose dive, carrying both Padme and Anakin down with it.

* * *

He stepped through the smoke and rubble and onto the walkway that led to the adjacent launch pad. His calm, calculating eyes glanced to his right and saw heavy black smoke billowing from what seemed to be a crash site about 5 kilometers away and smiled.

Not that anyone could see it. He wore a tight black mask that covered all but his nose and his eyes. He wore all black, as was his custom, from his rippling robes, down to his heavy boots. His left eye was milky white, the remnants of an accident he had when he was a child. Most of his opponents found the eye disconcerting, which was an asset in a fight, so he left it exposed. Strapped across his back were two electrostaffs. As he strode confidently across the walkway, one of the droids hummed over to meet him.

"Master," croaked the droid's metallic voice.

"Where is the ship," he asked harshly. He had no love for droids, and he saw no need to hide it.

"Master, I have calculated the ship's trajectory and it seems to have come to rest 36 degrees north," answered the droid dutifully.

"Find it. And our quarry. They are not to be harmed in any way."

"Yes, master," answered the droid before it hummed off to find it's fellows.

_That, _he thought with a smirk,_ is my job. _

And oh, did he take joy in it.

Sugar, We're Going Down

9


	7. Chapter 7: Into the Lion's Den: Part I

Star Wars Fan Fiction

Into the Lion's Den: Part I

Chapter VII

Anakin surveyed his target, Corporate Construction, from the rooftop of the building across the street. The workers, had long since left, and Corell had begun to dip behind the skyscrapers of the city center. Anakin had been watching the entrances for 3 standard days now and he had assessed that the best way in was the oversized exhaust vent on the building's side. He pulled his cable and grappling hook from the kit on his waist, and stepped up onto the ledge. The vent in question was about 10 meters down the building's side, and he needed support while he attempted to cut through the metal with his lightsaber.

Anakin took a deep breath and tried not to look down. The offices of Corporate Construction were on the 98th floor of the building, and air speeder traffic swirled beneath him ferociously. He put one foot out on the thin support beam that held up an advertising billboard between the two buildings.

_Just one step at a time,_ Anakin thought to himself.

No sooner had the thought gone across his mind, did a huge gust of wind threaten to knock him off of the beam. Anakin managed to hang on and hurried across the beam.

When he made it to the other side, Anakin planted the grappling hook securely against the side of the building and tied the cable around his waist as tight as possible. He then lowered himself, slow and steady, all the way down to the vent. Peering inside, Anakin could tell that while the vent was quite large, it would still not accommodate his full stature. He unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and went to work. He began at the top, slowly pushing his lightsaber into the grated metal of the vent cover, and pulling it around in a large circle. Red hot metal outlined his cut when he was finished and he kicked the center of the grate, knocking it back into the vent with a loud screech. He swung himself inside and untied the cable around his waist. He peered down the vent and saw nothing but darkness. Anakin pulled his glowrod from the kit around his waist and marched forward.

He had been walking slumped over for almost 10 minutes, his back screaming in agony all the while, when he reached an elevator shaft. He stuck his head out and looked up and then down. The elevator was stuck about 2 floors above him.

_Down it is,_ he thought.

He used the elevator rails to shimmy down the shaft to the elevator doors on the floor directly beneath him. He opted not to cut through this one, as it might draw unwanted attention later. Instead he used his strength, and a little of the Force, to pry the door open. When the door was just wide enough, he bounded through, letting the elevator doors slam shut with a muffled thud. Anakin let out a sigh of relief. He was finally inside.

And suddenly the bright light of a glowrod appeared around the corner. Anakin felt his stomach do an uncomfortable twist.

"You said you heard somethin', Jim?"

"thought I heard somethin' fall," Jim responded.

Anakin needed to act quickly. He glanced hurriedly around the large room he had just entered. It seemed he had entered the building's office space and the floor seemed to be made up primarily of offices along the outer walls with cubicles in the center. Anakin ducked under a nearby cubicle. It was a convienient place to hide, but if the guards came any closer, it also would be easy to get caught.

"Aw, Hell, if I had a credit for every time you thought you heard somethin'…"

Anakin ducked behind a desk as he heard the guards enter the room. He saw the shadows dancing along the walls as the guards shone the bright light into the room.

"Damn it, Jim, it looks exactly like it did when we walked through 10 minutes ago," fussed his fellow.

"I'm sorry, Bill. You know how I get when they put us on these damn midnight shifts," complained Jim.

Anakin listened as quietly as he could. He was so nervous that he was practically holding his breath.

"Yeah, yeah," responded bill clearly irritated with his partner.

"Hey, Bill, you mind if I go take a piss? This excitement's got m'nerves all worked up."

"Sure. Just hurry it up."

Anakin heard the footsteps of the second guard become more and more muffled as he wandered off to find the refresher. He exhaled. One guard was much easier to deal with than two. The first guard, confident that the noise was just a figment of his partner's imagination, shut off his glowrod, and turned to leave. Anakin crept from behind his hiding spot, and sneaked up behind the guard. The guard must have known something was behind him, because he turned around a split second before Anakin smashed his fist into the man's throat. The man let out a gurgling noise before Anakin spun the man around and placed his forearm firmly against his windpipe. The man's eyes were wide with surprise as he looked up at Anakin. His lips moved, but no words came out.

"I don't want to hurt you, but I don't want to be caught either. Don't make me choose between the two," stated Anakin as he attempted to drag the struggling man back into the room. The man's eyes became wider still, but he stopped struggling and allowed himself to be dragged. When they were safely back in the darkness of the office space, Anakin used his free arm to grab a pair of stun cuffs out of his kit. After the guard was secure, with the cuffs tightly around his wrists, Anakin released him.

"Why are there so many guards assigned to this building?"

"Don't know," answered the guard defiantly, his voice still hoarse from the blow Anakin had dealt him.

"Well they must be guarding something. What is your assignment?"

"Just to guard the building." He looked Anakin up and down. "And to make sure vandals and people like you don't make it in here," He added.

"You better come up with some better answers pretty fast, or I'll dispose of you and go find out where your partner got off to. And I guarantee that he will be a lot more accommodating," Threatened Anakin. He was growing more impatient by the second.

"Alright, Alright. There's a door two floors down. I've never been inside, but they always make a big deal about the guard on duty leaving his post. My buddy got suspended for two weeks just 'cuz he left to go take a piss," the guard replied hoarsely.

Anakin considered this for a moment. Obviously there was something of value hidden behind this door. He would be a fool not to at least check it out.

"Alright, ," said Anakin. "But I have to make sure that you don't disturb my plans."

"Hell, this is the part where you kill me anyway, ain't it?" asked the guard as he eyed Anakin warily. "Just hurry up and get it over with, then."

"I already told you, I'm not going to kill you. But this will probably hurt a lot tomorrow," said Anakin impatiently.

"What do you me-"

BAM.

Anakin punched the guard with so much force in the temple that his head reeled. The man fell backwards, knocked out cold. Anakin tried to ignore the pain in his knuckles, but there was something satisfying about landing a good, hard punch.

Anakin picked up the guards feet and dragged him into one of the empty offices. He stuffed the guard underneath one of the desks, careful that no part of the man's body would be visible from the viewport on the door. Satisfied with his work, Anakin crept off to find a stairwell to take him down two floors. He wandered, lost for a minute, but soon found a stairwell at the end of one of the long halls. He hadn't come across any more guards, and for that he was silently thankful. The door slid back into the wall, revealing the stairs, which Anakin followed downwards. He came out two floors below, in a long, dark hallway. There was no movement, save for guard at the end of the hall. He was sitting in a chair behind a desk with his chin in his chest, snoring loudly. Anakin could see the large grey durasteel doors behind him. He crept forward, using the force to muffle the noise of his feet. As he came closer, the guard stirred a little, but still he did not wake. Anakin walked up, raised his hand and Force choked the man. The guard awoke almost immediately, and clawed at his throat struggling to breathe. But he soon lost consciousness. Anakin released his force grip on the unconscious guard's throat and strode forward to the durasteel door. It was tall, from floor to ceiling and also looked as if it had been reinforced. He noticed a control panel on the right side of the door with a bright red light shining in its center. Anakin observed that it looked as if it would take a key card. He reached over and checked the guard's pockets for a card that looked like it might match. He found it easily in the man's chest pocket and swiped the card. the light on the control panel shone green, and the doors peeled slowly back into the walls. Behind the door was another long and uninteresting hallway. But at the end of this one was a simple elevator shaft. Anakin strode up to the door and almost pressed the down button before he stopped himself. Anakin allowed himself a smirk. How stupid. It was a mistake he might have made as a Padawan. What could be a quicker way to announce his presence and get himself killed? Instead he opted to pry the door open once again. The elevator was a floor below him. Anakin Dropped down on top of the elevator and crawled down the side. When he reached the rails underneath, Anakin paused to look down. His heart caught in his throat. He couldn't see the bottom; it was so far down that it was enveloped in darkness. Wherever it led, was deep underground.

_This is going to be a long climb,_ he thought sullenly as he resigned himself to the task.

When Anakin had finally made it to the bottom, he pried open the elevator doors once more and slid through. This floor looked a lot like a secret hideout to him and he had been in his fair share of secret hideouts. He had emerged at the end of a long corridor with labs on each side. He walked to the end, where it forked; one path left, and another one to the right. The door at the end of the left one seemed more ornate, so he shrugged and chose that one. When he reached the doors, they slid back and let him inside.

Inside was a large chamber that far dwarfed anything he had yet seen in the office complex. Against one wall sat a large, complex looking computer console. He counted at least a dozen screens all around one very large one. Anakin walked up to the computer and tried his luck. He searched Padme's name and her file and picture popped onto the screen. The file seemed to be an archive that the company kept of its contracts; his name was on the list as well. as he selected his name, the computer monitors suddenly went blank.

"I knew you would be unable to stay away," said an amused voice coming from behind Anakin.


	8. Chapter 8: Into the Lion's Den: Part II

[Type text] [Type text] [Type text]

Star Wars Fan Fiction

Into the Lion's Den: Part II

Chapter VIII

"I knew you would be unable to stay away," said an amused voice coming from behind Anakin.

Anakin spun around. How could he allow someone to sneak up on him like that? The man was dressed in all black robes. A tight black mask that exposed only his eyes and his nose covered his face. His milk white eye shone bright even in the dim light.

"Who are you?" demanded Anakin as he slid his hand down to his lightsaber hilt.

The man's cold, calculating eyes followed Anakin's hand steadily. His voice was no longer amused.

"I am Hiro. And Mine is the last face that you will ever see."

"Why do you want to kill Padme?" asked Anakin Angrily. He began slowly circling to his left. If he was attacked now, he could be easily pinned against the computer console. But his sideways movement was not lost on Hiro. He watched Anakin, his one good eye glinting with amusement, but allowed him to change position nonetheless.

"No, I want to kill _you_. You are the chosen one of the jedi. It is against you, that I must test myself. It is destiny," stated Hiro as he turned to keep Anakin in front of him. "The woman, however, was a means to an end. I knew if she was threatened, you would be drawn to find the culprit." He shrugged. "And here we are."

The nerve of this creature made Anakin's blood boil. He felt his face grow hot and a hard knot formed in his chest. This man had threatened his life, his wife's and although he didn't know it, their unborn child's life as well. Hiro mocked him with every breath. And there he stood before him, still breathing. And Anakin sought to remedy that. He unclipped his lightsaber and ignited it.

"You'll get the fight that you wanted, but it will end with your death."

Hiro just smiled.

His hands moved so quickly that Anakin's eyes could barely keep up. He reached behind his back and each hand emerged with an electrostaff in the palm. He leapt into the air and brought both staffs down so fast and hard that Anakin barely had time to get out of the way. Hiro's feet hit the durasteel floor with such force that it dented. Anakin's heart fluttered.

_This can't be real, _Anakin thought. How could he be that fast and powerful?

Hiro spun and attempted to bring his dual electrostaffs down on Anakin again, but this time he was ready. He brought his lightsaber up to meet them and they caught with a flurry of sparks. But the force of Hiro's blow caused Anakin's arm to tremble violently. He brought up his left hand and released a pulse of Force energy so powerful that it knocked hiro back into the computer console, shattering the monitors. Although for a moment he seemed dazed, Hiro rebounded and launched himself back at Anakin. The result was a complex combination of high and low blows that sent Anakin on the defensive, struggling to keep up. Hiro's speed was impressive. Anakin had to admit that he'd never seen anything like it. Not without using the force, anyway. And then it was like a light bulb went off in his head. Hiro was using the Force to augment both his speed and his strength. And those types of opponents always had a weakness; drawing on the Force like that severely depletes one's stamina. No matter how hard you trained or for how long, using the Force the way he did would cause you to tire and quickly. Anakin knew that all he had to do was to let Hiro tire himself out. No wonder he had attacked with such ferocity. In order for him to win, he had to win quickly. And that was to Anakin's advantage. The longer the fight went on, the better his chances were. All he had to do was avoid those electrostaffs at all costs.

Anakin caught hiro's high blow on his blade, only to be caught by a kick to the stomach. The blow knocked Anakin back, but hiro was on him again so quickly that it offered him no reprieve. He raised his lightsaber just in time to advert an electrostaff jab to the face. Hiro was a ferocious slasher with formidable speed, but Anakin thought that he was beginning to slow down. Hiro attempted to strike a blow to Anakin's side, his slowest yet, and Anakin sidestepped it. Anakin brought his lightsaber around in a blow to Hiro's side but he caught it on his electrostaff and deflected it. He brought the butt of the staff in his left hand around and cracked Anakin so hard against the temple that stars appeared in front of his eyes.

Without giving him time to recover, Hiro bounded in again. Anakin used the Force to reach for one of the heavy, broken monitors on the floor, and swung it hard at Hiro from behind. The monitor hit Hiro in the back, knocking him to the ground. As he struggled to rise, Anakin tried to catch his breath; the stars were still dancing in front of his eyes and he felt dizzy. But Hiro was not down for long and as he launched himself back at Anakin, Anakin raised his palm and aimed several Force blasts at his opponent. Hiro's speed made him difficult to hit, but Anakin did not care. He needed to tire Hiro out, not hit him.

Hiro dodged the last force blast as easily as he had dodged the rest and sprung at Anakin. Feeling more confident as his vision cleared, Anakin raised his lightsaber high to parry Hiro's blow. He noticed that this time, his arm did not tremble, and he took it as a happy sign that his opponent was beginning to weaken.

Hiro must have sensed this too, because he flipped a switch at the end of his left electrostaff and a vibroblade flipped out. He slammed the blade into Anakin's thigh and twisted.

Red-hot tendrils of pain crawled up Anakin's leg and when he looked down he saw that he was bleeding profusely. He felt the color drain from his face as he struggled to hold himself up. He Force pushed Hiro away, but this time he was ready. Hiro braced himself and this time instead of slamming into something, He managed to land on his feet. Anakin tried to take a step back, but his leg threatened to give out. He could feel the warm blood running down his leg and pooling around his toes in his boot.

From the way his leg trembled when he tried to put weight on it, he could tell that the muscle must be heavily damaged. And that was not good. He could no longer hope to tire Hiro, blocking and defending until his opponent could no longer augment his strength and speed. He needed this fight to end quickly, almost as much as Hiro did. Anakin watched as Hiro looked him up and down, evaluating his handiwork with a smirk. He ran towards Anakin and leapt high into the air, bringing his electrostaffs around to deal a devastating blow.

Knowing that there was no way he could get out of the way this time, Anakin concentrated all of his venom, rage, passion and desire into one, two, three pulses of Force energy, knocking Hiro's leap disastrously off course. He slammed hard into the durasteel wall as the three powerful force blasts washed over him. Hiro fell to the ground and for second he did not move. Anakin stood still, watching, not daring to believe that the fight was over. And then Hiro let out a moan and began to stir, slowly, as though each movement cost him a substantial amount of pain. Anakin decided not to wait around and find out what happened here.

_I've got to get back to the ship,_ he thought. The hard knot of anger in Anakin's chest dropped into a cold pool of fear in the pit of his stomach. _This was all a trap._ _They lured us here and they might know where we docked. I need to get back to Padme._

And so he turned and ran as best he could. Anakin drew on the force to dull his pain, steady his leg, and propel him forward at top speed back to the elevator. Luckily, it was already at the bottom and opened for him almost instantly. He got on and rode it all the way to the 122nd floor, where he knew there were crosswalks between the skyscrapers that could take him back to their ship.

He got off and drew what little was left of his strength reserves into his fingertips. He shot several forks of Force lightning into the elevator, frying its circuits.

_That should buy me some time,_ he thought.

And then he turned and bolted for the ship. The exertion was taxing him to his limits. He ran across the walkway to the next building and then crossed another to the next building. All the while the pain in his leg was growing; he felt his power fading as his anger dissolved.

_One more,_ he thought trying to coax himself forward. _Just one more._

When he reached the last walkway, he entered the building and headed for the Launchpad. He rounded the corner at the end of the corridor; the durasteel doors that led to the Launchpad was just down the hall.

And suddenly, three droids appeared behind him. Danger sense ran down Anakin's spine as they opened fire. He dived to the left and to the right, trying to avoid the blaster fire even as his leg screamed in protest. Finally, one of the droids tired of the game and shot a rocket at Anakin's back. Anakin looked behind him and saw the fireball headed in his direction. He dropped to the ground just in time and it zoomed over his head. It hit the durasteel doors and exploded shattering the wall and engulfing the side of the building in flames and thick black smoke.

But the Launchpad was just on the other side. Anakin leapt to his feet and called upon all his remaining energy for the final stretch and ran as fast as he'd ever ran in his life towards the ship. He bounded through the smoke and flame and emerged on the other side on the walkway that led to their ship. He took off running, Lightsaber in his hand, as the blaster fire poured through the hole in the wall behind him. He leapt and twisted, doing his best to avoid the constant flow of blaster bolts when he saw the ramp of the ship come down.

_400 meters more, you're almost there._

But even as he got closer, Anakin felt his legs get weaker and weaker. He twisted his body as he ran, and batted a bolt back at the droids who were relentlessly chasing him. He saw it strike the droid in the center, but it did not slow down and showed no signs of damage.

And suddenly from behind he was stuck in the back. It felt like he had been stabbed through the chest with a hot poker. The force of the shot knocked him off of his feet and propelled him several meters forward. He landed on his hands and knees, unable to get his bad leg underneath him in time. But he scrambled back to his feet and willed himself forward.

His legs got heavier and his vision more blurry the closer he got to the ship until finally, the lead that felt like it had been collecting in the foot of his bad leg, caused him to stumble and he fell to the ground. And this time, he was not sure he had the strength to rise. With the last few dregs of his wrath went what was left of his power. He closed his eyes for half a second until he heard Padme's voice ringing in his ears.

"Anakin!" she shouted.

He raised his head as much as he could.

"Anakin, hurry!" she shouted again.

Anakin looked behind him and saw the droids closing in. They stopped and raised their blasters in his direction. He struggled to rise and hobbled as fast as he could up the ramp barely escaping the blaster bolts. He felt the heat of the bolts whip past his face. When he was safely inside, he could no longer hold himself up. He fell to the ground. The last thing he remembered was seeing the darkness creeping at the edge of his vision before everything went black.

**Into the Lion's Den: Part II**

9


	9. Chapter 9: Obi-wan to the Rescue!

Star Wars Fan Fiction

Obi-wan to the Rescue!

Chapter IX

Obi-wan's eyes snapped open at a sudden glow of light that had illuminated his room. It was a typical room at the Jedi Temple and was mostly bare. He had added a few personal touches since he had returned; a lightsaber maintenance kit lay open on his dresser and a recently worn tunic was thrown across an armchair. Obi-wan was a light sleeper, which was also true of most Jedi, except that most Jedi didn't have an apprentice like Anakin Skywalker. Anakin had a habit of sneaking out of the temple late at night to podrace in the pits. And although Obi-wan had caught him in the act, he did not doubt that for every time he was caught, there were at least two incidences where Anakin had managed to sneak by him successfully. Whether or not it was Anakin's intention, it had served to keep Obi-wan on his toes.

He squinted his eyes at the bright, penetrating light of his datapad screen and waited a moment for his eyes to adjust. A prompt at the top of the screen indicated he had a new message. Obi-wan instinctively checked the time.

_3:30 GST, _he thought wearily_, who in the galaxy has to contact me at this hour?_

The frequency was not one that he recognized. It was probably just a nosy reporter, looking to interview him about the operations in the Outer Rim. He had heard other Masters complaining about be badgered by Holo reporters wanting to know what the Jedi were planning next. He was wide-awake by now, though, and decided to play the message.

When the message finally began to play it sounded fuzzy and garbled.

"Obi-wan-"

Obi-wan sat up straight, his heart thumping away in his chest. _That was Padme's voice!_

"Anakin is unconscious…. fired upon…. Corporate Construction… fake…" And then the message stopped suddenly. Obi-wan played it again, listening intently. Yes, it was definitely Padme. Why in the world was she contacting him from this frequency?

Obi-wan's worry grew as he stroked his beard. contemplated the message. Anakin was injured and he had no idea where he was. And what was worse was that wherever Anakin and Padme were, they were under attack and in need of his help.

Obi-wan shook his head. Anakin was always getting himself into these absurd situations.

"Corporate Construction…." Muttered Obi-wan thoughtfully. It sounded like a title so he decided to begin his search there.

He cross-referenced Corporate Construction on his datapad. Thousands of companies by that name, scattered all across the galaxy, appeared on the page. But if the one he was looking for was a fake, it will not have been around for long. He searched for founding dates within the last 8 months. Over 400 blinked onto the screen. Obi-wan sighed in frustration. He decided to check for companies by that name that were in between Coruscant and Naboo. This time he had success. Only one company by that name fulfilled the criteria. And it was on Corellia.

_Corellia?_

Obi-wan was surprised. What business did Anakin have there? He was to escort Padme from here to Naboo. Obi-wan's frustration with his apprentice grew. Jedi were sworn to protect. They were not mercenaries that could be hired to fight another's battle. First Anakin leaves to escort a politician home, and then he ends up embroiled in their conflict? Obi-wan worried that his apprentice was heading down the wrong path. But underneath his worry boiled his anger. Here he was, dropping everything and flying half way across the galaxy to save Anakin, AGAIN.

Obi-wan tossed his datapad aside and leapt out of bed. He grabbed his usual brown tunic out of his closet and pulled it over his head with a more force than usual. He grabbed a small bag on the floor of his closet and began throwing anything in arms reach inside. Dentigel, additional robes, and anything else he thought might be useful were all thrown unceremoniously into the bag. When he was finished, he jammed on his boots and walked through the door, not taking the time to look back. He walked hurriedly through the Temple, turning left, and then right, and occasionally taking a shortcut down a staircase or two. He turned sharply around a corner and almost ran headfirst into Mace Windu.

"Master Kenobi, it is a little late to be wandering the halls", said Master Windu, eyeing the bag thrown over Obi-wan's shoulder.

"Yes, Master, I could say the same of you. There is a Council meeting early on the morrow. You could do with some rest."

"I agree. However several michievious padawans had a slightly different idea." Master Windu opened his palm and showed Obi-wan a plastic rancor in his hand.

"Don't be too hard on them, Master. They are only children," advised Obi-wan.

"Children, or no, there are rules here in the Temple as I just had the pleasure of reminding them. And where are you off to Master Kenobi?"

"I have to help a friend off planet. I shall return in a few days."

Mace Windu raised a suspicious eyebrow, but did not object.

"Have a safe journey, Obi-wan, and may the Force be with you."

"And you as well, Master."

Master Windu turned and walked off, seemingly to investigate more unruly Padawans. Obi-wan let out a sigh of relief and continued on to the hangar.

Obi-wan was so lost in his worry for Padme and Anakin that he barely registered where he was going. Only pure habit kept him on course.

_This boy will be the death of me._

10 minutes later, Obi-wan arrived at his ship, leaping gracefully into the cockpit. He turned several knobs and dials and plotted a course for Corellia.

_What in the galaxy have you gotten yourself into this time, Anakin?_

**Obi-wan to the Rescue!**

5


	10. Chapter 10: Of Jedi and Sith

*****I'd like to inform any new or squeamish readers that this chapter does contain elements of torture. Not for the faint at heart.******

* * *

Star Wars Fan Fiction

Of Jedi and Sith

Chapter X

"Miss Amidala, we finally have the pleasure of meeting face to face," stated Hiro, although no hint of pleasure was audible in his voice.

He walked across the dimly lit room and over to a flat table against the wall, adorned with various trinkets and curious objects. His hand hovered over several objects before he finally caressed a long durasteel pipe resting on its top. The room was deep underground and the only light swung precariously from the ceiling, casting its pale light onto the duracrete walls. Hiro turned to face Padme. She was secured to a long metal table with stun cuffs at the bottom and the sides that allowed a prisoner to be easily restrained. Inside her mouth was a ragged piece of her own clothing that Hiro put there himself soon after she arrived. He had tired of her threats and constant screaming and relished his new found quiet. Her clothes were ripped and caked with dirt, most of which happened during the crash. Her bare feet hung over the edge of the table. She had struggled of course, but there was no way for her to break the binds and after the cuffs shocked her a few times, she gave up.

"I've already met your husband and he was rather less polite than you are," said Hiro as he pulled back his mask slightly to show her a rather large purple lump on his forehead. He turned and picked up the pipe, weighing it in his hands. He walked over to the end of the table and stood beside Padme's exposed feet. He put the cold durasteel to the bottom of her feet. Padme jumped at the cold metal touching her bare skin and hiro grinned.

_Cold metal should be the least of your worries,_ he thought menacingly.

Hiro raised the pipe and swung it hard, careful to hit the soft tissue of Padme's soles. The pipe struck Padme she cried out in pain. The rag in her mouth, though, muffled the majority of the sound. Hiro waited a moment for the pain to seep in before he raised the pipe and swung it again, doing his best to hit the same spot. Padme Jerked when the pipe made contact and retched. Hiro struck her one more time for good measure. This time the skin split and her feet began to drip tiny droplets of blood onto the floor. Hiro decided to take a break and to let her pain, anguish and hopelessness run its course.

Although he could not reach out in the Force and struggled with minor telekinetic moves, Hiro could still register the most intimate feelings of those around him. Padme's anguish washed over him and he savored every bit of it. Although, it was not quite what he was looking for. More subtly, he could feel Anakin's presence a few doors down, suffering tremendously. That was what he wanted. He knew that sometimes the most efficient way to strike at a Force user was to use his skills against him. Anakin would be reaching out to Padme in the Force, looking for any indication as to how she was doing and where she was held. Hurting Padme would hurt Anakin more than even torturing Anakin himself. There was something a little more disturbing about being able to feel the strength of emotions swirling about, but being unable to see it. Emotional pain was more unsettling even than the physical. And the mind always assumed the worst. As long as Padme was here with him and in pain, Anakin would imagine the most grotesque and agonizing things happening to her.

And Hiro knew better than most just how damaging that could be. He had been a small boy, when his parents were killed, 5 or 6. He could no longer remember. When the first assailant had put the blaster to his mother's head and pulled the trigger, the immense sense of loss he had felt when her life blinked out of the Force had cut him deeply. And so he did not hesitate when his father had bid him to run. He had ran as fast as he could, not daring to look back, but he could still register the feelings of fear and sorrow coming from the alley behind him. Then the fear spiked suddenly before he felt his father's life blink out of the Force as well. Afterwards it had taken Hiro years to become comfortable enough to open himself to Force again. But he had long since out grown that phase; his master saw to that.

The sound of Padme choking on her rag brought Hiro out of his reverie.

He put the pipe back onto the table and instead reached for a stun stick. It had just enough voltage, 500,000 volts to be exact, to cause significant pain and convulsions, but did not have a large enough current to kill. He turned to find Padme watching him and eyeing the stun stick in his hands, her eyes glossy and cheeks wet with tears.

Hiro walked over to the edge of the table and brought the stun stick close to the soles of Padme's bleeding feet. Before he had the opportunity to touch it to her skin, Padme tried to shy away.

"Why, Miss Amidala, I haven't even touched you yet," mused Hiro. "But yes, you are right to fear the stick. I'm afraid this will be even more painful than the pipe."

He turned on the stun stick and watched brilliant blue currents of electricity leap between the barbs.

Hiro was no stranger to the sting of a stun stick. The other boys had once found a stun stick in an alley, just like this one, and used it to abuse him mercilessly. He could remember writhing in pain on the ground, praying for the pain to end, for someone to come save him. When his convulsions finally ceased, the boys would just stick him again. And no one ever came. But Hiro understood now why they had tormented him. The weak were the prey of the strong. It was nature. And he had been weak, immensely weak. He had learned from his master that those things had to happen to make him strong. And he was glad that it did. Without it, he would probably still be wandering the lower levels of coruscant, brawling over scraps of food and begging for a place to rest his head at night. His master had saved him from that fate by giving him a purpose. And those hard learned lessons had stuck with him. There were no saviors. Even the Jedi did not raise a finger to help those less fortunate in the lower levels. He had to become his own savior and seek the power to destroy those who would destroy him.

Hiro put touched the barbs to the sole of Padme's bleeding left foot. She instantly began to convulse, jerking against her restraints. He removed the current and waited for her body to calm again. When she did, he touched to barb to her right and sent her into convulsions all over again. This time, however, she did not cry out. Not that she could. The current coursing through her body denied her control of her own muscles.

With every touch of the barb Hiro found that he could register spikes in Anakin's distress. But that only served to encourage him.

_This can't be the best the Jedi have to offer. Why would my master send me to fight these weak creatures? _

* * *

Hiro strode onto the bridge of his master's large starship. They had chosen to meet above Korriban and the dark side energy that flowed from the planet caressed him like rays of light. When he finally reached his master's feet, Hiro knelt and bowed his head.

"I am ready to serve you, master."

"Good, good. Rise, Hiro. I have a very important task for you," stated palpatine. Hiro rose to his feet and followed his master as he began to walk towards the forward viewport. Outside the planet Korriban shone bright and beautiful, but still menacing all the same.

"It is an honor, master."

"You are to do away with the one they call the Chosen One of the Jedi, this Anakin Skywalker. Only then can you ascend from apprenticeship and become a Sith Lord in truth."

"My master," said Hiro uncertainly, "Are you sure that I am ready?"

"No. Your success will depend on you alone. And your strength in the Dark Side. This test will tax you to your limits and push you farther than I ever have. I shan't be surprised if you should not return. But if you do, a lordship will await you."

Hiro pondered his master's words. He could not pretend that he did not desire lordship above all else. He had dreamt of donning his cloak ever since he was a small boy under the tutelage of his master. But he could see that the price would be great. But the reward would be great as well, a lordship and power beyond his imagining.

"When shall I leave, master?"

**Of Jedi and Sith**

7


End file.
